Chapter 361
Chapter 361:
Kristine’s lips lifted slightly. “You think that because you don’t understand him. If you doubt me, ask Elyse.” She turned toward her. “Didn’t you once boast that no matter what you asked for, Colton would make it happen p>
Elyse looked drained and shaken. She had said it only to provoke jealousy — she had never imagined those words would circle back and trap her.
Kristine cast Jonas a sharp glance. “Dial the number. Don’t keep him waiting p>
Inside a hotel bathroom, Danica unlocked her phone. After listening carefully for any movement outside, she placed a call to Asher.
The footage had shown Kristine and Elyse being taken away by two men, but their identities remained a mystery. The minutes crawled by. Unable to endure the silence any longer, Danica had finally reached out.
The line connected after a brief pause. “Mr. Edwards, this is Danica,” she rushed out. “Kristine p>
The door burst open.
Colton stood in the doorway, cold fury radiating off him, his gaze suffocating.
Danica’s phone slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the tiles.
Asher’s anxious voice spilled from the speaker. “Hello? What happened to Kristine p>
Colton glanced down briefly, then brought his foot down and crushed the phone without pause.
𝘓a𝗍𝗲𝗌𝘵 𝖼𝘩ар𝗍e𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘯
Danica flinched. It had been a brand-new phone. But under the weight of Colton’s stare, she forgot about it entirely.
“Who told you to contact Asher?” he asked, his voice hard.
Danica almost looked away, then remembered Kristine — still missing, still unaccounted for. She steadied herself and met his gaze. “I chose to. Kristine is gone. Why shouldn’t I ask Mr. Edwards for help? He knows this city. With him involved, we’d find her sooner p>
Colton’s eyes bore into hers. “The woman I care about does not need another man rescuing her. Is that clear p>
Danica froze.
The woman he cared about. Was he talking about Kristine?
A ringtone cut through the tension. Colton immediately pulled out his phone. Danica caught a glimpse of Elyse’s name on the screen.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. Of course. How foolish of her to think he had meant Kristine.
“Hello,” Colton said, gripping the phone tightly.
“Is this Mr. Colton Yates?” Jonas’s voice quivered the instant Colton spoke. Even through the call, Colton’s presence felt crushing, leaving him momentarily breathless.
Kristine caught the fear on Jonas’s face. She glanced at Elyse and slowly raised one finger — a signal that she was worth one hundred million.
The gesture steadied him. Jonas swallowed and forced the words out. “We have your fiancée. If you want her alive, prepare a hundred million.” Afterward, his pulse thundered. He still half-believed Colton would never agree to such a sum.
But Colton replied without missing a beat. “That’s fine. First, prove she’s really in your hands p>
Off to the side, Elyse curved her mouth into a smug smile and shot Kristine a taunting look.
Kristine’s expression didn’t change.
The response was exactly what she had expected. And yet — an inexplicable heaviness spread through her chest. If she were the one being held captive, he would never offer the same amount.
The thought made her sneer inwardly.